Number One Priority
by Devon Masterson-Bond
Summary: Ed reflects on her past as she starts her new future. This is a one shot OVIH for Ed-n-Duo's Great Adventure.


Number One Priority

By Devon Masterson

AN: This is a side story to Ed-n-Duo's Greatest Adventure think of it as an OVA, i.e. a separate entity unto itself. It's what I call an OVIH (one vision I had) this sort of situation may occur in the story may not so enjoy.

"Amber Tanner….Robert Taylor…"

Ed moved from foot to foot anxiously as she stood in line to get her diploma. She should have chosen a name in the A's. Never in her life had she ever been so anxious as she heard the cheers of family members and friends cheering on the graduates. Ed felt that she was handling it rather well. There was a time when she would have started to jump around or made some sort of distraction to pass the time, but she sat quietly until her row was called. She would never hear the end of it from Wufei if she went off the deep end. 

It was very exciting getting her diploma. It marked the fourth year of her life in the alternate dimension with Trowa and the guys. Four years of her life already have flown by, four of the best years of her life.

"Edward Wong…Hau Pelu… Tivrusky IV ?" the dean read as he came to the last name. Several cheers were heard and a series of crackles that sounded like fireworks went off, leaving a smiley face in the evening sky. He scratched his head, in both curiosity and confusion, as a smiling redhead walked up to him, but could not help but smile back. She was a lovely girl and who could not resist a woman who would do a back flip in joy when her name was called?

"Congratulations and welcome to the society of educated people," the dean finished as Ed stood in front of her seat. The students turned to each other to hood one another then whooped in joy as they threw their mortarboards into the air. As if by signal everyone rushed to meet the graduates and further congratulate them. 

Ed looked around excitedly for her friends and boyfriend. They were around somewhere, she recognized her smiley face trademark in the sky. She suspected that Duo was responsible for that, he was always doing something wild. They were perfect partners and had been through their fair share of scrapes and capers, but her favorite thing to do was prank Wufei. It was always fun to see that vein in his head pulsate as he debated which would be the quickest way to end her life, but he was never successful. 

There was so much in her life that she was thankful for, she was finally happy. She started to spin around in joy. "Happy day. Happy day." she sang. "Happy…" She stopped as she saw a father hug his daughter in pride then pose with her for a picture. Her eyes saddened for a moment as her mind drifted.

"Congratulations, Ed," she heard Quatre say from behind her. She turned around and everyone grinning in various degrees.

"Thank you," she smiled then jumped into Trowa's arms so that her legs wrapped around his hips. She buried her face into his neck.

"Okay," Duo replied slightly puzzled. He looked at the others but they gave him the same looked that said 'well you know Ed.'

"Ed, are you okay?" Faye asked.

Ed jumped from Trowa's arms and grinned. "Ed is so excited. It's party time!"

"Now that is what I am talking about," Duo replied smiling. "Heero made you a chocolate cake and I've been waiting all day to dig into it."

Ed laid on the bed watching the rain slide down the window. She sighed and turned over, she hated rainy days. Rainy days were always depressing, that meant she was trapped inside. _"It was raining that day too,"_ she thought as she stood and walked over to the window. She pushed it open and jumped onto the nearby tree branch to sit. Large drops of rain pelted on her on the head then streamed down her face as though she were crying rivers. The memories and loneliness always came back during torrential weather.

"What's wrong with Ed?" Duo asked Trowa.

"I'm not sure. She's been acting strange since graduation," he answered. He was worried about her as well. She would not talk about it only smile and tell him that everything was fine.

"You didn't forget an anniversary or something, did you?" Duo asked. "You know chicks get funny about that stuff and even though Ed is one of the guys, she's not one of the guys."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Maxwell," Wufei replied looking up from his sword polishing, "but unfortunately you are on to something."

"Our anniversary is not for another five months and her birthday was last month," Trowa replied.

"I think she felt left out by not having her family at her graduation," Quatre commented as he moved his bishop and took Heero's knight. He looked towards Faye, who was polishing her nails. "What do you know about Ed's family, Faye?"

"When I met her she was living on her own," Faye answered. "She never mentioned family or anything like that. She's probably an orphan most of the kids on Earth were."

Trowa stood. She had been up there by herself for awhile, perhaps she would talk to him now. He started up the stairs and down the hall. Once he reached their room, he opened the door. The room was dark except from the dim light from open window. As he moved closer, he was able to make out her form rocking back and forth in the tree with her knees to chest. She was shivering. He quickly made his way over to the window and stepped out onto the branch. Within moments, he was back inside with her in his arms. He laid her on the bed and touched her sleeping face gently. She needed to get out those wet clothes. 

He held her to him as he peeled off her wet clothes when she started to stir. Trowa's eyes widened. Normally, when she slept she was dead to the world unless someone waved something chocolate under her nose, and even then she would be still out of it as she ate the candy. "Ed can take of herself, boyfriend person," she said softly as she stood. She dried herself off and put on her favorite nightshirt that she liberated from Trowa's side of the drawer.

"Why were you sitting out in the rain?" he asked easing her into the bed with his movements. He stood over her and wrapped her in the covers. Over the four years, he had learn that subtle movements and gestures were the only way for him take care of her. She was quite head strong and determined to do things on her own. She had always been a free loving spirit, but the last couple of days, her whole demeanor had changed. The only thing that kept him from pinning her to the ground and making her tell him what was wrong was the fact that she still spoke in third person. He had a feeling that she was making the special effort to do so as not to tip him off.

"No reason," she answered and looked away.

The muscle in his jaw tightened. He was getting even more worried now that she refused to look at him. Perhaps he had done something wrong and did not realize it. He did not recall doing any of the standard crimes such as letting his eyes linger too long on an attractive female and she barely spoke to him the whole week so she could not say he was ignoring her. "Is it me?" he asked.

Ed turned her head in surprise. She never expected him to ask that. "No, Trowa…boyfriend person, I…Ed's just tired." She turned over so that her back was to him, thinking that he would leave, but he did not. 

He fingered one of her thick crimson locks then touched her face. "I'll be right here when you're ready to talk, cher," he said softly then changed into his nightclothes. He slipped under the covers on his side of his bed and started to read a book by dim lamp light. He had just turned the first page when Ed took the book from him and dropped it to the floor just before kissing him deeply. 

Trowa could feel her climbing on top of him. He knew what she was trying to do, she felt guilty and she was trying to further cover up her feelings. He could not let her to do that as painful as it was. It felt good to be close again after the distance that had been between them. Ed was normally touchy feely and he finally had gotten used it. Then there was the completely obvious reason, Ed was very attractive and he loved her. Their sex life, though they did not talk say much about it the others, was very healthy at least until graduation. He couldn't use her or let this be another smoke screen to avoid the truth. "Ed," he said breaking the kiss reluctantly. He looked into her eyes. "Talk to me."

Amber eyes looked at him pleadingly. She needed to be close to him right now. "I need this right now," she said softly kissing his neck. She bit his ear lobe seductively. "Please."

"I don't want to lose you," he said softly his eyes drifting shut. He could feel himself surrendering to her charms. He needed her as much as she needed him and it was becoming harder to ignore that as she convinced him.

"You won't," she replied covering her mouth with his again. She smiled for the first time in several days when she saw his resolve melt and he rolled on top of her.

Some time later, Ed rested her head on Trowa's chest as her breathing became normal again. She felt relaxed, but her heart still ached. Strong arms encircled her. "Are you going to tell me now?"

"Sometimes, I miss my father person," she sighed.

"Did he die?" Trowa asked.

"No," she answered, "he left me one day and never came back."

Trowa tensed up as anger creeped into his physiology. "He abandoned you?"

"He just forgot to pick me up from daycare," she answered. "He would always forget but he was never gone so long…I was never number one priority to him…" Her sentence trailed as she started to break down. She buried her face into his chest.

He lifted her chin so that she could look into his eyes. "Don't ever be afraid to cry in front of me, Cher." He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb then kissed her. "I will always be here."

Ed smiled. "Thank you, boyfriend person."

"Fiancée person," he corrected somewhat playfully. He reached into the drawer of the nightstand. "I was going to ask you graduation day…" Trowa chuckled lightly at the look of utter shock/ totally caught off guard expression she was wearing. It was priceless. He had never seen her look surprised before and this pleased him. "Marry me." 

Ed blinked. She rolled over and jumped out of bed. After rifling for a few seconds, she came back and faced a hurt, puzzled look on Trowa's face. "Yes," she answered.

Trowa slid the ring on her finger and kissed her. When they broke apart, she took his left hand and stamped it. "Property of Ed," she grinned.

"You're my number one priority," he whispered sometime later as she drifted off to sleep. He looked at the back of his hand and stared at the grinning smiley face then smiled. She was back. 

© Devon Masterson

I don't own Gundam Wing or Cowboy Beebop, so oh well. I just do this for fun


End file.
